Malayalam film industry is more mature than Kollywood: Kaniha

Actor Kaniha, who recently joined the set of Rosshan Andrrews’ How Old Are You? is happy about the kind of roles she is bagging in Malayalam. She plays Nirupama’s (Manju Warrier) mentor in the film. After Bavuttiyude Namathil, Kaniha will be playing a Muslim woman again in To Noora With Love.
“I play Krish’s sister Sainaba, who is very fond of her younger brother.Sainaba is a cook, and conducts cookery classes and sells appam too. I speak in Malabar slang in the film,” says Kaniha about her role in Babu Narayanan’s To Noora With Love.
The actress did not take a break from films post marriage, but is signing up only a few moview of late. Ask her why and she says, “At one point of time, I just wanted to be in the limelight; but now it is different. I don’t want to do films just to be in the limelight. I am looking for meaningful roles and want to give my best.”
She has no qualms in picking up bolder roles or doing intimate scenes. “I have no set of rules or any mind block when it comes to doing any kind of roles. If I am not comfortable doing a particular kind of role then I won’t do it. My family is very supportive and they have not restricted me in any way,” says the actress, who was last seen as a devdasi in M Padmakumar’s Orissa.
Kaniha has tried her luck in other industries too, but post marriage the kind of roles she was offered in Tamil has not excited her so far. “The Tamil industry is biased against actresses who are married. After marriage, the kind of roles I was offered in the Tamil industry is of a different category. They ask me to do glamorous roles. When I ask them, what are these glamorous roles and why can’t I act in a sari, they have no answer,” she says.
“But, Malayalam industry is not biased and I am fortunate enough to bag a variety of roles in the industry. In Malayalam, even a grandmother can be a hero; there is nothing like a lead or a side role. It is a much more matured industry,” signs off Kaniha.